17 Dec 2025 Black Education Experts Share Secrets of Successful Schools

American kids today are not OK. Declining test scores, depressing headlines and worrisome anecdotes all serve as evidence that the post-pandemic, unaccountable, morally confused, discipline-absent nature of our nation’s public school systems is churning out a mess of issues for our most vulnerable young people.

In a private call today for Project 21 ambassadors, investigative journalist Chris Pabst shared insights from his book “Failure Factory: How Baltimore City Public Schools Deprive Taxpayers and Students of a Future.” Spurred by his findings, our ambassadors shared with each other what they’ve observed in their own states and communities.

Our Project 21 ambassadors come from a variety of backgrounds and career paths, and we asked a few of our education experts to weigh in on what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to educating our next generation.

Jovani Patterson

Jovani Patterson, Project 21 ambassador and an education activist in the Baltimore area:

Based on my observations as a parent, no funding formula, teacher demographic requirement or diversity quota reliably produces success in public education. What consistently makes the difference is clear, shared responsibility among parents, teachers and schools, with parents recognized as the key partners.

When my daughter attended public school, I reached out to her teacher for clarity on a specific math instructional strategy to reinforce the learning at home. The teacher’s response — essentially “Don’t worry about it, I’ll handle it at school” — was revealing. It reflected a mindset in which parents are seen as optional or even obstacles rather than integrated partners in the education process.

By contrast, when we moved our children to private schools, parental involvement was expected. Parent-teacher conferences were mandatory, and families were integrated into the life of the school through events, projects and shared responsibility. This culture reinforced a simple truth: Education works best when everyone is accountable and engaged.

Urban education faces real challenges, but another decisive factor I have observed is expectations. When children are held to high academic standards, paired with belief and reinforcement, they rise to meet them.

I am seeing this firsthand with my son. When we moved and transitioned him from a strong private school into a high-performing public school system, his reading levels didn’t stall—they continued to accelerate! That success wasn’t tied to the type of school, but to the culture surrounding it. In both environments, his teachers welcomed parental involvement, communicated consistently and held clear, high expectations. There was never a suggestion that education belonged solely to the school. Instead, everyone understood it was a shared responsibility, and because of that alignment, my son continues to thrive.

In communities like Baltimore, the prevailing “whole child” framework has inadvertently shifted responsibility almost entirely onto schools, often under the rationale of justifying increased funding. While schools play an important role, their core mission should not be to replace parents, caregivers, churches or community institutions. They should focus instead on setting high academic expectations, communicating transparently with families and reinforcing a culture of responsibility and excellence.

A structural and cultural shift back toward shared responsibility is necessary, especially in urban districts. History proves what is possible: Ben Carson’s mother, despite being illiterate, raised a brain surgeon by instilling discipline, expectation and belief. Success is not determined by zip code or funding levels; it is determined by responsibility, expectations and follow-through.

Reform efforts should be focused on reinforcing this shared accountability.

Priscilla Rahn

Priscilla Rahn, Project 21 ambassador, Denver-area educator and the author and host of “Restoring Education in America“:

Education is not a system to be managed from afar; it is a calling rooted in truth, virtue and responsibility. As a Christian and a conservative, I believe Classical Education works because it begins with what is eternal—teaching children how to think, not what to think, grounding them in faith, reason and moral clarity.

Fortunately, in the past five years I have watched parents step back into their God-given roles as the primary educators, mentors and protectors of their children’s hearts and minds. They tell stories of schools that have rediscovered order, discipline and a love of learning through the trivium, and of families that have flourished when dads became visible, engaged and unapologetically present. They also expose hard truths about schools that chase social trends instead of truth, that lower standards in the name of equity and that push parents—especially fathers—to the margins.

What works is partnership, high expectations, classical content and a culture that honors faith, family, self-reliance and responsibility. What doesn’t work is bureaucracy replacing wisdom, and ideology replacing education.

If we are serious about restoring education in America—especially in our urban communities—we must be honest, courageous and solutions-oriented. Successful models already exist: classical charter schools, faith-based schools, homeschooling networks and community-driven education initiatives that empower parents and teachers rather than federal agencies.

While reducing federal overreach is part of the solution, it is not the whole story. Renewal begins at the local level—with families, churches, mentors and—yes—fathers who lead by example. It means lifting up schools that prioritize character alongside academics, that teach Western civilization without apology and that believe every child is capable of excellence. Transformation is possible when we return to first principles: faith in God, respect for the traditional family and an unwavering commitment to truth. That is how we restore education—not just for a generation, but for the future of our nation.

Melanie Collette

Melanie Collette, Project 21 ambassador and former New Jersey educator:

As a former public school teacher and adjunct professor, I witnessed firsthand how the system often fails both students and educators—not because of a lack of resources, but because of misplaced priorities and a culture that rewards mediocrity. Too many schools prioritize bureaucracy, politics and social engineering over academic mastery and personal responsibility. Teachers who expect excellence are often discouraged in the name of compliance or equity.

What truly works are schools that return to the basics—rigorous instruction, discipline and a partnership between parents and educators. Faith-based schools, schools rooted in classical education and charter schools that emphasize content-rich curricula and moral development are producing far better outcomes.

Unfortunately, many charter schools that rely heavily on public funding have fallen into the same ideological and bureaucratic traps as traditional public schools. Expanding genuine school choice through vouchers, education savings accounts and support for independent models empowers families to choose what’s best for their children.

To truly improve education, we must restore merit, reinforce local control and allow parents—not Washington—to decide how and where their kids are educated.

Linda Lee Tarver

Linda Lee Tarver, Project 21 ambassador and educational advocate based in Michigan:

Lawmakers in Michigan have significantly boosted K-12 spending in the last decade, but test scores in math and reading have significantly declined, with the state falling to the bottom 10 nationally for student performance.

Michigan’s K-12 education system faces significant challenges, with declining student achievement despite increased funding, poor rankings nationally in reading/math proficiency, low college readiness (around 25%), persistent achievement gaps for minority and low-income students, lagging national test scores, and pandemic learning loss. As a result, new state budgets are focusing on literacy, meals and career tech, while business and education leaders push for systemic improvements to better prepare students for the workforce.

For black students, education has been elusive. In 2016, black students in Detroit, represented by seven student plaintiffs, sued the state of Michigan, alleging they were denied their constitutional right to literacy due to crumbling schools, lack of books, unqualified teachers and poor conditions, leading to inadequate reading skills, a case that became known as the “right to read” lawsuit.

A federal appeals court ruled in 2020 that basic literacy is a constitutional right, eventually leading to a settlement in 2020 with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that required millions to be spent for literacy programs but that failed to establish a nationwide precedent for a fundamental right to education.

Even though these Michigan students sued and won the right to read, however, leftist state leaders have continued to decimate education and accountability. They have eliminated merit pay for teachers, boosted teacher unions, expanded mental health for students bullied for gender identity, prioritized LGBTQ+ in-class awareness campaigns, permitted Black Lives Matter and gay pride flags in schools, focused on social-emotional learning and social transitioning (aka name changes) during school hours, permitted males in female sports and private spaces, and coerced pronoun compliance.

As a result of these liberal policies, Michigan’s rank recently dropped from 14th to 36th in math and 20th to 42nd in reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), landing a tragic 44th overall for student performance in 2025, down from 32nd overall in 2015.

Leftists have a torrid history in keeping blacks illiterate. Southern states, including South Carolina (1740), Virginia (1819), Georgia (1829), Louisiana (1830), North Carolina (1830), Alabama (1832) and Missouri (1847), enacted harsh anti-literacy laws that criminalized teaching enslaved and free black people to read or write, punishing offenders with fines, imprisonment, floggings or worse due to fears that literacy would incite rebellion and challenge the slave system.

But there is hope! We serve a God who sits high and looks low and hears the prayers of His people. And classical education! Classical education isn’t a cure for all illiteracy, but its structured, phonics-based approach and focus on foundational language skills (grammar, rhetoric) are highly effective for teaching how to read and write, building strong literacy foundations and fostering critical thinking, making it a powerful tool against foundational illiteracy, especially when integrated with modern needs and adaptations for diverse learners.

Smaller classrooms realigned back to the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic are essential. We live a free society, and children of all backgrounds, races and religions deserve a quality education and literacy.